The city’s detective union is escalating its war against rabid cop haters, pushing to have NYPD officers added to a federal law that requires protesters stay 25 feet away from ICE officers, The Post has learned.
The Halo Act would fine or imprison protesters who get within the buffer zone and impinge on the law enforcement officers’ ability to do their jobs, according to Detectives Endowment Association President Scott Munro, who said he’s traveling to Washington, DC this week to meet with legislators.
“What’s exciting about this is if the federal government jumps in we don’t have to wait around for local politicians and their far-left agendas,” Munro told The Post.
Right now, the act is written to specifically protect federal immigration enforcement officers from harassment that causes “substantial emotional distress” and “serves no legitimate purpose.”
Leftist agitators have been harassing cops on the job, filming the exchanges and then posting the videos to social media, where they also list the names of New York’s Finest along with their complaint records. Some people have looked up the cops’ addresses and made them public too, the union said.
The DEA along with the National Association of Police Organizations and members of the New York State Public Safety Alliance, which is made up of hundreds of cops from around the state, are meeting with federal legislators to look for a way to protect cops from targeted harassment, the DEA said.
“Enough is enough,” Munro said. “What our detectives and the cops across this country are dealing with is not just unacceptable — it’s dangerous. This is not about politics. It’s about safety.”
People who don’t obey the federal law could be hit with fines and/or jail time.
The law enforcement groups have also been trying to get legislation passed in New York.
States that have enacted laws creating a buffer zone around police officers or first responders during active duty include Florida, Louisiana, Indiana and Arizona, the union said. Similar laws have been proposed in South Carolina, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.
NAPO President Mick McHale called the issue “a national problem that demands a national response.”
“Officers across the country are facing the same dangerous trend — being targeted, interfered with and harassed simply for doing their jobs,” he said. “Congress must act to ensure that law enforcement professionals can serve their communities safely and without obstruction.”
